Never Parted
by plaidshirtjimkirk
Summary: It's lonely when the service puts distance between you and your other half... but quite unexpected when you find he's left a letter containing a special "to do" list for you in his absence. Despite having different heritages, Jim and Spock view loneliness and their relationship the same way. A fluffy, old married Spirk short.
1. Parted from me and never parted

A/N: I received a message on tumblr that was really cute. It was "Imagine Spock's 'honey do' list for Jim" and I thought it would be an interesting idea for a fluffy short story.

A heavy sigh was expelled from between a pair of thinning human lips. Another two week ambassadorial mission… Another two weeks of living alone and sleeping alone and eating alone and showering alone and simply _being_ alone.

Jim had returned to their condominium with these thoughts after seeing Spock off, feeling quite empty even though it only _had_ been barely a half hour since the two had parted ways.

He stepped into the lift and began the ascent to the twenty-third floor.

Though the grievances of loneliness had been on his mind for the better half of last week, Jim dared not make them known to Spock; after all, to burden and distract him with these feelings wouldn't be fair when he was only fulfilling his ambassadorial duties.

The demands of Spock's position were fully known and understood when he accepted the responsibility, but actually living with them was a different story all together... certain past events had incubated the unmistakable curse of separation anxiety in their relationship.

A pleasing chime sounded off and the lift door opened then. With his mouth pulled taut, Jim turned his face to the side, just as he turned his thoughts from one particularly painful memory that insisted on replaying itself, and stepped up to the entrance of the condo.

The blue light flashed on the fingerprint reader, confirming his identity and the door swished open. Jim entered and shrugged his coat off, unable to prevent himself from gazing forlornly about the emptiness of the space. That's when he saw a note on the table.

His footsteps quickly carried him in its direction. From far away, Jim could tell that the words on the paper were curiously handwritten, though the lettering was so neat, it could have been mistaken for traditional print work. Jim knew better, though.

He took the note in his right hand and began reading the message written upon it.

_Jim,_

_I must make several requests of you in my absence._

_1. It is imperative that you eat well. Do not skip meals, even if your desire to eat has been dampened by the expected emotional response of my departure._  
><em>2. Ensure that you sleep at least eight hours every night. You are aware that rest is essential to your health.<em>  
><em>3. As the temperature is still low, dress in warm clothing and do not forget your scarf.<em>  
><em>4. On the dates you are scheduled to provide lectures at the Academy, bring sustenance to ensure you remain hydrated. These will be, as you describe, "long days," so you must endeavor to prepare yourself for them.<em>  
><em>5. I will contact you each day. However, it is my wish that you do not hold your communicator every moment in anticipation that I may send correspondence, as you suffered hand cramping during my previous mission.<em>  
><em>6. Regarding the inquiry you posed last night, I suspect it was jocular in nature as you did not give me the opportunity to respond; however, I will supply an answer now. No, I do not mind if you wear my attire or pursue repose upon my side of the bed in my absence.<em>  
><em>7. Excess effort to clean our living space is unnecessary in preparation for my return. Do not stress yourself.<em>

_Taluhk nash-veh k'dular. It is of equal difficulty for me._

_Spock._

Jim's lips twitched upwards in the slightest at the corners. The hand that rested at his side rose into the air, its thumb gently landing upon the top corner of the paper as his four fingers ghosted on the opposite side. They slowly slid down the thin sheet like it were precious and made of antique lace before the pad of this thumb stopped over the final written word.

Jim caressed that name twice before he clutched the letter to his chest, allowing his eyelashes to fall and head to nod forward.

"I miss you already," he whispered to the emptiness around him.

However, Jim realized his words hadn't gone unheard when he felt a pulse of affection surge into his side of the bond. A quiet smile spread across his face.

_Parted from me and never parted._


	2. Never and always touching and touched

A/N: After responding to the first message on tumblr, I received a request to continue it with Jim's list for Spock.

The door swished open, the bright glow from the hallway immediately invading the once dark room as two shrouded figures similar in height stood shoulder-to-shoulder before the entrance.

"And this is where we conclude our tour of the ship," a strong female voice announced.

She entered through the doorway first and the rows of thin rectangular lights lining the ceiling panels automatically elevated to full luminosity. Captain Grant had taken several steps forward before she stopped and turned. The woman stood tall and confident, adorned by a burgundy captain's uniform that made her dark skin tone pop radiantly. The rest of her appearance was perfectly fitting for one who commanded respect: black trousers, polished boots, and hair drawn up into a taut, neat bun.

"I hope you find your quarters comfortable, Ambassador Spock," she announced, pride radiating from her in constant waves. Grant carried a nostalgic dignity with every movement that brought back warm memories of how Jim would shine when he conducted tours aboard the _Enterprise_ - _his_ _Enterprise_, just as this was _her_ _Princeton_. And, like Jim, she was so eager to show off the iron lady she fully committed herself to.

The Captain's shoulders rose slightly and her hands elevated with open palms that paralleled the ceiling as she took in a panoramic view of the large room. "If there's such a thing as a penthouse suite on a starship," she began, and gave her hands one stiff shake through the air for emphasis. "_this_ would be the place. It's reserved for our most honored guests."

Spock had followed her into the impressive space with his mid-sized bag in tow. He first made sure to survey the room well out of respect for her excitement for it, and turned to her after his initial observation.

"Captain Grant, I thank you. This is more than adequate," Spock began, his voice carrying its ever deep and serious tone. He then added a phrase Jim had used many times in the past to achieve the maximum effect of displaying appreciation. He let his head dip slightly forward. "I am humbled."

Grant's lips curved into a friendly smile as she raised her chin. "I'll leave you to get settled then, Ambassador. I'm looking forward to you joining us for dinner."

"The anticipation is mine," Spock replied politely as he watched her take her leave, but not before she sent him with one last grin in reply.

The door automatically slid closed and he was left to himself.

Spock looked from side to side, once again surveying the large quarters that he would inhabit for the entirety of his time in transit. Had Grant not been so excited to present this room to him, he would have requested a transfer to much simpler accommodations; a cadet-class bunk with a desk would have more than suited his purposes.

In comparison, this space was far too large and, while its decor was pleasing, also much too empty. Certainly, no amount of embellishments could ever replace the physical absence of a bondmate.

Spock stilled his thoughts on the matter; it would be futile to dwell on the fact that he was not at Jim's side, as nothing could be done to change the situation. …Did these thoughts constitute evidence of _loneliness_? Spock's shoulders stiffened as his dark eyes drifted down to his luggage.

Grant and her executives would not expect him for dinner until another three point two hours had passed; it would be ample time to meditate and neatly file away the thoughts which made him illogically wish to physically reach out for Jim.

After making his way to the bed, Spock lifted his bag and gently placed it upon the top cover. He opened it with the intention of retrieving the small mat which would lessen the burden on his frame as he kneeled during meditation; however, he was instead met with the surprise of seeing not one, but a _stack_ of sealed envelopes rubber-banded together. They had been strategically added to the contents of his luggage without his knowledge.

One pointed eyebrow raised as Spock picked up the pile. The envelope on top read the current date in the upper right corner and "1/14" in the middle.

Spock quickly removed the band and filed through the stack, observing that they had been arranged in sequential order from the first to the fourteenth. Sitting down slowly on the edge of the bed, he placed the heap neatly at his side and picked up the one on top; it was only sensible to start at what was labeled as the beginning, after all.

A thin finger slipped beneath the flap and adroitly pried it from the seal, enabling him to procure the paper from within it which, he found, was carefully folded into threes.

Spock pulled the paper flat so he could see what message waited for him, immediately pleased at the sight of Jim's handwriting. His penmanship was very different from that which was enforced on Vulcan; in which Spock's was nearly identical to a formally typed font, Jim's was romantic with curved, italicized letters and had loops accenting beauty of certain characters.

He began reading.

_Dear Spock,_

_I know, I know. It was "only logical" to expect this because I always write you a letter when you're away. But this time, as you surely noticed, things are a bit different. Instead of one, you have fourteen!_

_Why? Well, this particular mission you're on isn't going to be easy and it's killing me (no, not literally) that I can't be there with you. Starting official negotiations with Romulus isn't going to be an easy task, even if they're meeting us in our own territory… really, who would've ever thought!_

_So, since I can't be there with you in person, I wrote you one letter to open on each day, just as a reminder that you always have someone on your side supporting you. And now you're probably thinking something like, "Jim, I am Vulcan. I do not need reassurance." Let me tell you something: everyone does. Especially with what you're up against._

_For this first letter, I just want to mention a few things I need you to keep in mind while you're away:_

_1. I love you. And I miss you. And I can't wait for you to come back so we can have "welcome home" sex. ..You sure you can't come back sooner? ;)_  
><em>2. Don't let your guard down. Not for one second. We talked about this so many times… We don't know Romulus' motivation for suddenly agreeing to these negotiations. Just be careful, okay? Watch your surroundings and stay with the security team.<em>  
><em>3. Don't let them or <strong>anyone<strong> belittle you because of your heritage. Being both Vulcan and human is a gift, Spock, and don't allow anyone to convince you otherwise._  
><em>4. Make sure you eat and sleep enough. Don't give me that "Vulcans don't need as much food and rest as humans" crap. Maybe it's biologically true, but your body is accustomed to a regular eating and sleeping schedule so don't deny yourself it.<em>  
><em>5. I know how busy you'll be on this trip… And you know I always want to hear from you, but please put yourself first. If you can use the time to rest or meditate instead of talking to me, do that instead. Worry about your needs instead of mine. I'm a patient man.<em>  
><em>6. Make sure you have enough covers during ships night. You know how cold you get when you sleep.<em>  
><em>7. Don't forget to open your letter each day. Each one is very different. …You'll see what I mean.<em>

_So that's it, Spock. Stay safe and comm me whenever you can, whenever you feel like it. In the meantime, I'll be thinking about you until the moment I see you materialize on that transporter pad again in two weeks._

_Love,_  
><em>Jim<em>

The hands holding the letter slowly dropped to Spock's lap and, though the message was fully understood the first time, he re-read it once more. It was then neatly folded back up and returned to the pile.

Spock relocated the stack of envelopes to the nightstand and then moved his bag to the floor. Reaching into it, he withdrew an extra large white t-shirt with the words "Go climb a rock" and set it next to him as he laid down.

Within the privacy of his quarters, a hand slipped out to the garment beside him and his slender digits caressed the material. Spock's fingers clenched upon it then and brought it to his face. He closed his eyes, pressed it to his forehead tightly, and uttered one word barely above a whisper to the emptiness of his cabin.

"_Jim._"

Somewhere in the recesses of his very numeric mind where rationale and mathematical sensibility reigned was a place that would forever bond him to Jim. And in the midst of the efficient inner workings of what was once a sterile place denying the acceptance of any emotion, Spock felt love.

_Never and always touching and touched._

Ending Notes: Thank you for reading! :D

Taluhk nash-veh k'dular = I cherish thee.

Feel free to come hang out with me on tumblr and give me a prompt, if you wish! :D

One more chapter coming soon to finish this one up. 3


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